“The third day of the sixth month. Today is the day the Duke of Duskmoor married the general’s daughter.”
Alaric froze.
Elowen’s image resurfaced before his eyes-dressed in wedding robes, smiling softly. It felt as though something had carved into his chest, sharp and unrelenting, sending waves of pain through his heart.
“Her Majesty has arrived.”
The announcement came from outside the door. Moments later, the Queen entered, supported by a matron.
When she saw Alaric awake, relief lit her face. “Alaric, are you feeling any better?”
He gave a distracted sound in response.
A servant lit the candle nearby. The Queen examined his complexion-still pale, still weak from illness.
She sat down at the edge of the bed and spoke slowly. “Now that the Duke of Duskmoor and Elowen’s wedding is finally over, I can breathe a little easier. From now on, I only need to focus on your marriage.”
Alaric stiffened slightly. “Mother, I-“
“You are the Crown Prince,” the Queen interrupted gently, smiling. “You’ve already come of age. Your father mentions your marriage often. The entire court is watching.”
She continued calmly, “Once your health improves, I’ll make the arrangements. There are so many noble daughters in the capital. We can take our time choosing-graceful ones, gentle ones, well-read and well-mannered ones. Every single one of them is better than Elowen.”
At the sound of her name, a sharp pain clenched in Alaric’s chest.
The Queen went on, her words flowing freely now. “When you were young, that was when you should have been studying. Yet Elowen was always dragging you off to play. She even sneaked you out of the palace once-you nearly got hurt. From then on, I disliked her.
“These past years, you devoted yourself to state affairs, yet she clung to you like a burr. I wanted to drive her out of the palace long ago, but with Hale Manor behind her, I had to restrain myself.
“Now that the Hale family is gone, she’s of no use at all. At least she had the sense not to shamelessly insist on marrying you.
“And as for Duskmoor Manor-it’s hardly a blessed place. The Duke lies unconscious, the manor’s in chaos thanks to his relatives. If I hadn’t kept things under control, do you think the wedding would have gone so smoothly? Elowen will have plenty of hardship ahead of her.”
Alaric couldn’t bring himself to speak.
Having vented her thoughts, the Queen looked far more satisfied. She rose to her feet. “Alright. Get some rest and recover quickly. I’ll arrange for you to meet those young ladies. With me here, your position as Crown Prince will remain perfectly secure.”
–
The next morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Elowen woke.
Mira came in to comb her hair and glanced at her face. “Did you not sleep well, Your Grace?”
Elowen blinked slowly. “I’m not used to the bed.”
Nor was she used to having a man lying beside her.
She studied her reflection in the mirror and rubbed her eyelids. “Mira, fix my hair for court. We’ll-“
“Is the Duchess awake?”
An aged yet steady voice came from outside.
Elowen turned and saw a matron dressed in respectable attire. The woman didn’t bow. She spoke plainly. “Lady Marwen instructs that on the first day after the wedding, the Duchess is to go and see her.”
Elowen was well aware of the situation at Duskmoor Manor.
Cassian and the current King were full brothers, both born to Dowager Selene of the Ashcroft family.
The Dowager had a younger sister and a younger brother. The sister had married into a noble house far away in Rivenshire. The brother had joined the army, followed Cassian into battle, and died saving his life.
Perhaps out of guilt, Cassian had brought his uncle’s widow and children into the manor.
That widow was Marwen.
Cassian spent most of his years at war and had little time for domestic matters. Marwen had volunteered to take over the management of the manor.
Which meant that now, Duskmoor Manor was firmly under her control.
Elowen had also heard that Marwen had once hoped to marry her youngest daughter to Cassian. She had formally proposed it-only to be refused.
And now, it was Elowen who had married into the manor instead.
Mira frowned, speaking up for Elowen. “The Duchess has just woken up. Why rush her over so urgently?”
The matron snorted. “Of course. The Duchess comes from a military household, noble and honored, personally chosen by His Majesty. No wonder she looks down on a widowed matron like Lady Marwen.”
Mira froze, eyes widening. “When did I ever say that?”
“If you can’t even explain what you mean, then you’d better not speak at all.”
With just a few sharp words, the matron shut Mira down, then turned to Elowen. “Your Grace, what do you say?”
Sending someone so sharp-tongued, Marwen was clearly determined to put Elowen in her place on the very first day of her marriage.
Meeting the woman’s piercing gaze, Elowen simply smiled. “I should indeed go pay my respects to Lady Marwen.”
Her tone was gentle and calm, but the words “pay my respects” carried a sharp edge.
The matron lowered her gaze slightly. “Your Grace misunderstands. It’s not a formal courtesy visit, just a meeting.”
Elowen seemed not to hear her. “General Aldric gave his life to save the Duke. His widow deserves everyone’s respect. I admire Lady Marwen as well. Going to pay my respects today is only proper.”
Seeing the matron look pleased, even smug, Elowen curved her lips slightly and continued, “So please trouble yourself to make a trip to the palace.”
The matron looked confused. “To the palace?”
Elowen smiled and nodded. “Yes. You can report that since Lady Marwen, as a war widow, holds precedence, I must pay my respects to her first before going to see His Majesty and Her Majesty.”
The matron froze, a flicker of panic rising in her chest.
Leaving aside whether she could even get past the palace gates, suggesting that Marwen should be seen before the King and Queen would be enough to cost her head.
Such disrespect, how could she dare?
Her earlier arrogance melted away. The matron forced a smile. “Your Grace is joking. Naturally, His Majesty and Her Majesty come first.”
Elowen kept smiling. “Since you understand, then go back and tell Lady Marwen that once I’ve finished my duties, I will go see her.”
The matron stood there for a long moment, unable to find another word. This orphaned daughter of a general looked soft and delicate, but she was not easy to bully at all.
She answered weakly and turned to leave. Elowen continued getting ready.
Mira asked in a low voice, “Your Grace, are you really going to see Lady Marwen?”
Elowen picked through the hairpins on the table, choosing carefully. “She is my aunt by marriage, and she is indeed the widow of a fallen hero. Of course I’ll see her. But when I go, it will be decided by me, not by her.”
It was a matter of who held the upper hand. If she lowered herself the moment she stepped through the door, her future days would not be easy.
These were lessons Elowen had learned from her sister-in-law.
Her sister-in-law came from a centuries-old noble family filled with wives, concubines, and children. In her own words, she had seen every kind of schemer and every sort of intrigue. The battles within the household were no less bloody than the battlefields her father and brothers had faced.
After marrying Elowen’s brother, no one in the family played those games anymore. With nothing else to occupy her, her sister-in-law often came to instruct Elowen.
Elowen was the only daughter in the family. Her sister-in-law had taught her almost everything she knew.
In her previous life, Elowen never had the chance to use those lessons. Sometimes, she thought it was a shame.
But now, things were different. After finishing her preparations, she had the carriage readied. Elowen left with Mira and another handmaid from the manor, Cora.
“I’m not drunk. I’m not drunk. I can still drink three more barrels.”
Just as Elowen was about to step into the carriage, she heard a loud commotion.
Following the noise, she saw an unfamiliar carriage stopped at the gate. Two men dressed like tavern workers were helping a young man down.
The young man wore fine, luxurious clothes. The greenstone circlet on his head was slightly crooked, and his sleeves were stained with wine.
He staggered to the ground, barely steadying himself, then slapped away one of the workers and cursed, “Do you know who I am? The Duke is my cousin. The Dowager watched me grow up with her own eyes. I’ve even seen His Majesty in person.”
The worker covered his face and dared not argue. Everyone else spoke softly, coaxing and trying to calm him.
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